Last December, we sent a box of SUCK UK gifts over to LaunchPod Studios in North London. The plan was to hand them out to viral podcasters that were recording during the lead up to Christmas. We hadn't told anyone what was in the box. We hadn't written a brief. We hadn't even really asked them to film it, though we're glad they did, because what came back was a run of on-camera reactions that we've been showing people round the office ever since like proud parents at a school play.
We ran the giveaway for the full month leading up to Christmas, and these six reactions were our favourites. A Sunday Times bestselling author with 11 million podcast downloads got giddy about a cassette tape. A Spurs fan held up a pool ball bottle opener and said 'fantastic' with more feeling than most Tottenham supporters can muster for a late equaliser. An award-winning wellness podcaster took one look at a set of cake tins and said 'it's so me,' and we've been quietly obsessed with that phrase ever since.
We've had Ricky Gervais call our Cat Scratch Turntable 'fantastic' on Romesh Ranganathan's show, Oprah put us on her Favourite Things list, and Taylor Swift spotted with the turntable on telly. So we're not short on nice things people have said. But watching total strangers rip open your stuff on camera, unscripted, with microphones on? That's a different sort of test entirely.
So when he opened his gift and the very first thing he said had absolutely nothing to do with return on investment, we were pretty chuffed.
'I was telling my daughter what a Walkman was the other day, so I'm really excited to be opening up this Cassette Speaker from Suck UK.'
That's our Wireless Cassette Speaker Gift. Shaped like a cassette tape, connects to your phone over Bluetooth, plays for about eight hours off a charge, and ships with coloured stickers in the box for doing up the label however you fancy.
We'd never once thought of it as a prop for explaining 1980s technology to children, but Aarish has given us an angle we didn't know we needed.
'I really wanted one of these. It's a smartphone projector, and I can now show my kids all of their home videos and pictures from when they were babies.'
Most people see it as a novelty. Francesca saw her kids' baby videos projected onto a bedroom wall, and honestly, that gave everyone in the office a slightly wobbly moment when we watched the footage back.
'Wow, I love it, a smiley umbrella.'
That was the review. The whole review. Five words, nothing else. We respect that enormously and we're not going to try and top it.
'It's decent kit. Looks great anywhere. Fantastic.'
Delivered with the quiet confidence of a man who clearly knows his way round a drinks trolley.
She opened our Cake Storage Tins Gift and four seconds later came out with this:
'Oh my God, I love it. It's so me.'
We've turned that into a bit of a yardstick around the office now, if we're being completely truthful.
'Oh a bottle opener, perfect time for Christmas Day, I love it.'
Our Smiley Bottle Opener Gift is made from the same real pool ball material as the Eight Ball version but wrapped in a bright yellow Smiley face that grins at you while it cracks your drink open.
A bottle opener landing in someone's hands the week before Christmas feels like the universe doing our marketing for us.
This was the first time we'd worked with a podcasting studio and we'd very much like to do it again. If you run a studio, host a show, or make content and you fancy doing something with us, give us a shout. We're well up for it.
Smartphone Projector 2.0 Gift | Cardboard cinema for your phone. Free UK delivery, worldwide express shipping.
Smiley Umbrella Gift | Secret smiley face hidden inside a sensible black brolly. Free UK delivery, worldwide express shipping.
Eight Ball Bottle Opener Gift | Carved from a real pool ball. Free UK delivery, worldwide express shipping.
Cake Storage Tins Gift | Three nesting tins that stack into a cake. Free UK delivery, worldwide express shipping.
Smiley Bottle Opener Gift | Grinning pool ball opener. Free UK delivery, worldwide express shipping.
Want to stock these in your store? All six are available to trade customers worldwide. Our trade team would love to hear from you at trade@suck.uk.com.
Press, review, and collaboration enquiries: Drop us a line at frontdesk@suck.uk.com and we'll sort you out.
Browse all SUCK UK gifts
We ran the giveaway for the full month leading up to Christmas, and these six reactions were our favourites. A Sunday Times bestselling author with 11 million podcast downloads got giddy about a cassette tape. A Spurs fan held up a pool ball bottle opener and said 'fantastic' with more feeling than most Tottenham supporters can muster for a late equaliser. An award-winning wellness podcaster took one look at a set of cake tins and said 'it's so me,' and we've been quietly obsessed with that phrase ever since.
We've had Ricky Gervais call our Cat Scratch Turntable 'fantastic' on Romesh Ranganathan's show, Oprah put us on her Favourite Things list, and Taylor Swift spotted with the turntable on telly. So we're not short on nice things people have said. But watching total strangers rip open your stuff on camera, unscripted, with microphones on? That's a different sort of test entirely.
Aarish Shah, Nothing Ventured: Wireless Cassette Speaker
Aarish Shah hosts Nothing Ventured, a VC and startup podcast that's been going for 240-odd episodes. He also founded EmergeOne, a fractional CFO consultancy that's helped startups raise north of half a billion. Serious bloke, in other words.So when he opened his gift and the very first thing he said had absolutely nothing to do with return on investment, we were pretty chuffed.
'I was telling my daughter what a Walkman was the other day, so I'm really excited to be opening up this Cassette Speaker from Suck UK.'
That's our Wireless Cassette Speaker Gift. Shaped like a cassette tape, connects to your phone over Bluetooth, plays for about eight hours off a charge, and ships with coloured stickers in the box for doing up the label however you fancy.
We'd never once thought of it as a prop for explaining 1980s technology to children, but Aarish has given us an angle we didn't know we needed.
Francesca Amber, Law of Attraction Changed My Life: Smartphone Projector 2.0
Francesca Amber knew what she had before the wrapping was even off. She runs Law of Attraction Changed My Life, a podcast with over 11 million downloads, and immediately clocked what our Smartphone Projector 2.0 Gift could do.'I really wanted one of these. It's a smartphone projector, and I can now show my kids all of their home videos and pictures from when they were babies.'
Most people see it as a novelty. Francesca saw her kids' baby videos projected onto a bedroom wall, and honestly, that gave everyone in the office a slightly wobbly moment when we watched the footage back.
Kate, Law of Attraction Changed My Life: Smiley Umbrella
Kate co-hosts alongside Francesca and was at the studio the same day. She opened our Smiley Umbrella Gift and said:'Wow, I love it, a smiley umbrella.'
That was the review. The whole review. Five words, nothing else. We respect that enormously and we're not going to try and top it.
Jake, Echo of Glory: Eight Ball Bottle Opener
Jake from Echo of Glory, a Tottenham Hotspur fan podcast that runs out of LaunchPod Studios, got his hands on the Eight Ball Bottle Opener Gift.'It's decent kit. Looks great anywhere. Fantastic.'
Delivered with the quiet confidence of a man who clearly knows his way round a drinks trolley.
Lauren Mishcon, Self Care Club: Cake Storage Tins
Lauren Mishcon co-hosts Self Care Club with Nicole Goodman. Six years, over 700 episodes, millions of downloads, and enough podcast awards to fill a decent-sized shelf.She opened our Cake Storage Tins Gift and four seconds later came out with this:
'Oh my God, I love it. It's so me.'
We've turned that into a bit of a yardstick around the office now, if we're being completely truthful.
Sophie Cobden: Smiley Bottle Opener
Sophie Cobden opened her gift on day four, and her timing was spot on.'Oh a bottle opener, perfect time for Christmas Day, I love it.'
Our Smiley Bottle Opener Gift is made from the same real pool ball material as the Eight Ball version but wrapped in a bright yellow Smiley face that grins at you while it cracks your drink open.
A bottle opener landing in someone's hands the week before Christmas feels like the universe doing our marketing for us.
Massive Thanks to LaunchPod Studios
Big thank you to James and the whole team at LaunchPod Studios for pulling this together.This was the first time we'd worked with a podcasting studio and we'd very much like to do it again. If you run a studio, host a show, or make content and you fancy doing something with us, give us a shout. We're well up for it.
Shop the Gifts the Podcasters Loved
Wireless Cassette Speaker Gift | Bluetooth speaker disguised as a retro cassette. Free UK delivery, worldwide express shipping.Smartphone Projector 2.0 Gift | Cardboard cinema for your phone. Free UK delivery, worldwide express shipping.
Smiley Umbrella Gift | Secret smiley face hidden inside a sensible black brolly. Free UK delivery, worldwide express shipping.
Eight Ball Bottle Opener Gift | Carved from a real pool ball. Free UK delivery, worldwide express shipping.
Cake Storage Tins Gift | Three nesting tins that stack into a cake. Free UK delivery, worldwide express shipping.
Smiley Bottle Opener Gift | Grinning pool ball opener. Free UK delivery, worldwide express shipping.
Want to stock these in your store? All six are available to trade customers worldwide. Our trade team would love to hear from you at trade@suck.uk.com.
Press, review, and collaboration enquiries: Drop us a line at frontdesk@suck.uk.com and we'll sort you out.
Browse all SUCK UK gifts